LOST II

Chapter 80: "The Elder's Deal"

Lengthy chapter again. Post your reactions as you read!🤗

Salma sat balled up at the end of the couch, next to her father. She was properly wrapped like a burrito in one of her mother's shawls, partly because it was nice and warm, and partly because it gave the image of her being shaken, terrified and traumatized – which she was, but not to the point of needing something warm to help her shivers. The frightened trembling part was over. Two days ago. 

Uncle Dawood, Asim and William were also present for the meeting. And not too long ago, Zayn had arrived. Salma was surprised. She did not know her father would call him in. The two of them just exchange a few quick, 'hey, how're you doing?', 'So, what's going on?', 'Tell you later,' looks before he sat down next to Asim. Salma threw a quick glance at William, but was relieved to see him completely ignoring the new entry, too busy with his phone to bother with anyone else.

Lastly, in attendance was the person for whom this little gathering was arranged in the drawing room; Special Agent, Alexandra 'Alex' Wickfield, FBI. And currently, she was at the receiving end of a mighty good verbal thrashing by Salma's father.

"I always thought it was weird that the thugs were always only after my Salma!" he continued. "They found out who she was, where she lived and where she went for shopping and school, and whatnot, and she had only ran into them briefly in the forest. It's not like they could have found out her name, her identity, where she'd come from or where she'd go, just by chasing her through trees, and yet, they tracked her back to this very town and started attacking her. But somehow, they never knew anything about Zayn. Who he was? Where he lived or traveled to? And they never bothered to track and pin down anyone else from your team."

Salma turned to Zayn and Asim sitting across from here, surprised that she did not think of this before. Asim too, turned to Zayn, who was frowning and eyeing the agent, his friend, questioningly. Judging from his expression, it was evident that, like Salma, he too, had not thought it weird that only Salma had been the target of X-RAW attacks, till her father pointed it out.

"That's an extremely wrong assumption on your end. My team has had multiple --"

"I don't have to spell it out to you, for you to understand my point, Agent Wickfield! Someone has been feeding them information about Salma, making her a clear target for them!" Mr. Rahman accused, a hard scowl directed at the agent sitting in front of him. "I'm saying that someone is you! You used my daughter, risking her life for your own motives! You tried to use her to get them out of their hiding with absolutely no regard for her safety!"

"Mr. Rahman, we tried everything to –"

"She was inches from her death two nights ago!" Mr. Rahman cut in angrily.

Zayn looked between Alex and Mr. Rahman, looking shocked and confused. Salma figured her father had not told him she had been used as bait and consequently, attacked by the X-RAW.

"Where were you when she had a gun pointed at her?!" he fumed. "You took her from our doorstep, without my permission, or her explicit consent! You never informed her you were going to use her as bait before hurrying her on! Then, when she was kidnapped! Taken by the thugs, right under your nose! And now there's a third party included, of which you have no clue. Agent Wickfield, she may be one of the many in the crowd to you, but my daughter is not dispensable!'

"Mr. Rahman, you've gotten the wrong idea here," Agent Wickfield tried to placate him. Salma was strangely aware of that very quick side glance she threw at Zayn. It was not impossible that she would not have wanted Zayn in the audience while Mr. Rahman was coming at her, all guns blazing, accusing her of putting his daughter in danger.